England 1 Slovenia 0

England looked determined to put the memory of the Algeria fixture behind them, but their early efforts looked slightly nervous: a couple of rash challenges were made and a few errors were apparent. Fabio Capello set the team up under 4-4-2 again but with Jermain Defoe replacing Emile Heskey in attack. Steven Gerrard started on the left and, whilst he had the freedom to roam, he retained a more defined position on the flank than against Algeria.

After 15 minutes England started to obtain a hold on the game. Glen Johnson cut inside from the right and his tricky shot was saved by Handanovic. Slovenia did fashion a chance on the break but John Terry blocked Ljubijankic’s effort. However, it was England that made the breakthrough: James Milner put in an excellent cross from the right which was fired home from six yards by Jermain Defoe. A number of chances were created over the remainder of the half, but England could not extend their lead. Milner continued to threaten with his crosses, on one occasion the keeper was forced to push the ball clear but Lampard could not set himself for the rebound and he shot high and wide. Defoe also had another good strike from outside the box: Handanovic’s parry fell to Gerrard who linked well with Rooney, but Gerrard’s placed effort was thwarted by Handanovic’s diving save.

The lead could have been extended with two minutes of the restart, but Defoe just failed to flick the ball into the net following Lampard‚Äôs header into the box. Defoe did find the net after some good link-up play between Ashley Cole, Lampard and Rooney but the goal was rightly disallowed for offside. Rooney’s scuffed shot was also tipped onto the post, following a ball out of defence from John Terry. England continued to control the half, but did not create any further clear chances. And although they dominated there were a few scares. Barry lost the ball in an advanced position, which allowed Slovenia to move up-field: in a fraught exchange Slovenia had three chances but Terry and Johnson made good blocks before the final effort went wide. There was also a nervous moment as full-time approached, but Upson made a great challenge to thwart Dedic. England held on to attain a place in the round of 16.

This was a spirited showing from England with all of the players putting in respectable performances. Milner was particularly eye-catching on the right and he showed that a poised and pragmatic wide player can have more impact than a coiled spring running down blind alleys. Defoe bagged the winner for England but his involvement was otherwise slight and he spent a period of the first-half chasing balls bouncing over his head. The centre-forward spot will receive ongoing scrutiny as England approach the knock-out stage.

8 James Milner: Some excellent crosses, good defensive work and an overall performance underpinned by elan and pragmatism.

7 Matthew Upson: Sure-footed, and made a crucial tackle as the game approached full-time.
7 John Terry: A solid performance with some excellent tackles and blocks.
7 Steven Gerrard: An energetic showing on the left, linking up well with Ashley Cole and Rooney.
7 David James: Dealt with some tricky situations convincingly.
7 Ashley Cole: Sound defensively, and visible in attack in the second-half.

6 Gareth Barry: His overall performance was secure enough, but he made a couple of notable errors. With two games under his belt now, he should improve.
6 Frank Lampard: Not quite up to the level of his form over the qualifiers, but he used the ball well enough.
6 Glen Johnson: Settled after a slightly unsure start, he was pretty assured in defence and attack.
6 Wayne Rooney: Looked brighter than against Algeria, but this was expressed through tidy flourishes rather than sustained attacking threat.
6 Jermain Defoe: Fulfilled his striker’s role in scoring the winner, and also fired another good shot away. But otherwise he was fairly marginal.